“The boat was designed from scratch to be a hydrofoil cat,” Dunshee says, describing the Hydrofoil Supported Ocean Cat. “It’s not an adaptation of some other model, but designed from the ground up — almost a $2 million investment.”

Developed by Gunther Hoppe of South Africa (where power cats rule the water), the T-shaped hydrofoil extends down from the tunnel amidships and connects to the inboard side of each sponson. “The result is lift generated more efficiently than the hull planing surfaces on their own,” Dunshee says. A pair of smaller hydrofoils in the tunnel just forward of the transom dampen pitching, further stabilizing the ride, Dunshee says.

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Twin Suzuki DF300s push the cat to a cruise speed in the low 40 mph range, where she gets about 2 mpg. With the throttles pinned, the cat hits 57 mph. “In a boat of its size, typically you would see triples or quad engines,” he says. “We get almost twice the fuel economy of a similar-size performance boat.”

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Base retail price is $213,260 with the counter-rotating Suzukis. The standard equipment list includes a fiberglass T-top with rod holders, a fishing station with a 50-gallon bait well and a head in the console. The company has sold and delivered four of the hydrofoil boats and expects to display at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show Oct. 25-29. Contact: Twin Vee Catamarans, (866) 614-2525, www.twinvee.com.